Examining the need and role of council housing

about employment, skills, attainment. It’s about driving that up and pushing the right buttons in order for them to be able to get out of social housing.

“Social housing for me isn’t about the right for people to remain for a long time. It should be a step up into a new place, so they can carry on and strive to do better. But there’s always going to be a need for social housing.”

Kirklees housing director Naz Parkar said affordability was a major issue for a large amount of people. He said: “One of our politicians recently said ‘housing is a right, not a privilege’ and that is our starting point as a council.

“Not everybody can afford to access housing in the market place.

“The role of the council is working with those who are most vulnerable.

“But then you also have a large amount of people whose salary is less than the Kirklees average of £26,500. “Multiply that by three-and-a-half (usual mortgage lending terms) and what can you afford to buy? Not a lot.

“It’s not a safety net, I don’t want council housing to be seen as a last resort.

“But we do need to make sure that all the housing needs of all the population are met and not just those of the executive home buyers, which is what a lot of volume housebuilders will tend towards as the profit margin is higher.”